A stronger candidate for White looks to be the Evans Gambit: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4. But Black should with best play equalize the position after 4…Bxb4.

Black has an interesting candidate in 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5 3.d5 b5 4.cxb5. Well, if you like a draw with Black it might be a winner…It should be good enough to a draw with best play.

It is not easy after 1.e4 c5 and 1.e4 c6 to say when the the earliest best moment appears to sacrifice. And for who appears the earliest best moment to sacrifice? For White or Black? Sicilian Najdorf games has seen many sacrifices for both White and Black. Sicilian Dragon too. Also Sicilian Scheveningen. And so on…

Black can in the French sacrifice the g7-pawn after for example the continuation: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Qg4 Qc7. It might with best play from Black be good enough to hold a draw after 8.Qxg7 Rg8 9.Qxh7 cxd4 10.Ne2. But Black can instead play the safer 7…O-O.

Should we instead first sacrifice in the middlegame?

Comes the earliest best moment to sacrifice first in the middlegame?
If not in a later stage of the opening it should be somewhere in the middlegame.

Should the opponent first be totally strategically outplayed before we sacrifice?

Is it first when the opponent is totally strategically outplayed as the earliest best moment to sacrifice appears? The position could then already be so superior that there is no need for a sacrifice to win the game. But it is necessary many times to end a strategical played game with one or more sacrifices. At least some form of tactics has to be ready to be used.

Wikipedia about sacrificing:

Sacrificing some material is often necessary to throw the opponent's position out of balance. The sacrificed material is sometimes able to be regained with interest a couple of moves later. Pawn sacrifices in the opening are known as gambits; they are usually not intended for a short-term gain, but instead to achieve a more active position.

Direct attacks against the enemy King are often started by sacrifices. A common example is sacrificing a Bishop on h2 or h7, checking the King, who usually must take the Bishop. This allows the Queen and Knight to develop a fulminate attack.

About me

I played my first chess game in December 1977 and was lucky to hold draw. I continued to play chess and joined a chess club in September 1978.
I'm still enjoying playing chess.
I like to do many other things than playing chess.
Long walks, some jogging, cycling, reading books, listen to music, watch movies, writing and much more. Life is fun!